Event Services

Need some help with your New York event photography? The Cvent Supplier Network has several photography listings in the New York metro area.

5th Avenue Digital, for example, is equally suited for both New York corporate photography and that of social events. Happening Photos, Inc., boasts customized service at competitive rates, with standard event services including individual enhancement of each image and the creation of an on-disk gallery.

Visit the Cvent Supplier Network today the next time you need a photographer for your events! Do you have any recommendations for a New York event photography?

I blog frequently about how meeting planners can use Twitter to promote their events. But I can understand that some event planners may still have some hesitations about getting started: Will I have time? What do I use it for? Is it really worthwhile?

Meetings & Conventions recently published a great article about two meeting planners who are using Twitter: Jessica Levin, manage of communications and member services for Moore Stevens North America, and Vanessa LaClair, a membership services and event coordinator for Independent Power Producers of New York in Albany. They share some thoughts on how they've found Twitter beneficial, the strategies they have for managing it and more.

If you're still unsure about signing up for a Twitter account, definitely check out the article to see how meeting planners are making Twitter work for them.

There are some things that just scream summer: the smell of freshly cut grass, day trips to the beach, enjoying salted peanuts and beer at the ballpark, etc. One thing that always sticks out in my mind as a favorite summertime activity is eating barbecue!

This summer, a laidback company picnic, corporate luncheon, or outdoor reception is just the thing the thing your event attendees need to kick back and mingle after time in the boardroom. To really do your summertime events justice, consider having them catered by some of the best names in barbecue in North America. Here are a few to help you get grillin':

The Hitching Post

Located in a 100-year-old building, the Hitching Post in Casmalia, California, transports guests back in time to the days of cowboys, black gold and railroad travel. Using techniques dating back to the Old West, the Hitching Posts cooks its meats over a indoor barbecue pit fueled by red oak wood.

The Hitching Post Restaurant offers catering services to events of all kinds throughout California and as far as Indiana, making it equally ideal for Los Angeles catering or San Diego catering needs. Its famous "Santa Monica Style Barbecue" (roast-size chunks of top sirloin beef seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic salt and served with Santa Maria Pinquito beans, green salad, macaroni salad, toasted garlic bread and salsa) is a favorite for catered affairs.

The Smokehouse

This family-owned San Antonio restaurant is a favorite for locals and visitors alike. Located in the southeast side, The Smokehouse serves it barbecue off a 40-foot indoor pit and cooks only with 100 percent mesquite wood. Prepared with a dry rub, barbecue options include brisket, pork ribs, chicken and sausage, all of which are cut right at the table.

The Smokehouse can take care of all your San Antonio catering needs. Its affordable fare can be served buffet style or serving style, and comes complete with bread, pickles, onions, jalapenos, sauces, plates, plastic cutlery and napkins.

Smokin Bones Barbecue Catering
 
Don't think that if you're planning a Toronto event you'll be left out of this Southern staple. Smokin Bones Barbecue Catering in Toronto has you covered when it comes to outdoor cooking, counting roast beef brisket, jerk chicken drummettes, homemade potato salad, and even sweet and spicy shrimp among its extensive menu options.

Chef Don Schell has been a staple on the Toronto restaurant and catering scene for years, providing delicious fare at venues such as Roy Thompson Hall and the Saint Lawrence Center for the Preforming Arts. Smokin Bones can also provide servingware, cooking equipment and full array of staffing services.

Arthur Bryant's

Founded in the early 1920s, Arthur Bryant's has garnered quite a following over the years. Steven Spielberg, Robert Redford and Jack Nicholson are among the many famous guests who have flocked to Bryant's to enjoy pulled pork, beef, chicken and more, all doused in the signature sauce.

With two locations in Kansas City, Missouri, and one in Kansas City, Kansas, Arthur Bryant's can arrange for full catering or drop-off for groups of 40 or more people. Plus, Arthur Bryant's Legends at the Speedway can accommodate family-style dining for groups of 20 or more people, as can Arthur Bryant's Brooklyn.

The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa welcomes guests into the heart of Grand Cayman with airy, palm tree-filled lobbies and lush beachfront patios. With a spot on Conde Nast Traveler's 2002 Gold List, the Westin Casuarina is a first-class location to plan a tropical getaway for your meetings and events.

The hotel's seven meeting rooms can accommodate up to 400 people. Host an elegant reception of up to 315 people at the spacious Galleon Ballroom, or schedule a formal business meeting for 15 guests in one of two boardrooms. On-site audio-visual equipment and a dedicated conference and event services staff is on-hand to make sure your meeting at the Westin runs smoothly.

Work and play go hand-in-hand at the Westin Casuarina. Outside the meeting room, your event attendees can enjoy the marble baths and balconies in each of the 343 guest rooms; savor a meal at the four-diamond Casa Havana or beachfront Courtyard Cafe; or indulge in a treatment at the rejuvenating Hibiscus Spa.

View more information on The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa

Don't let its name fool you—the House of Blues restaurant in Dallas will have your event guests feeling anything but sad. Opened in May 2007, this hotspot has hosted over 400 shows by big names such as Bob Dylan, Fergie, O.A.R., Peter Frampton and Natasha Bedingfield. So spectacular is its venue and event programs that House of Blues was named the top club in the country by the 2008 Billboard Touring Awards.

With it reputation for hosting great events, it's no surprise that House of Blues is a great spot for your next Dallas meeting or reception. Invite guests to HOB's Gospel Brunch, where they will enjoy an expansive buffet and the energizing music of live performances from local and national touring gospel groups. Or, host an intimate dinner of Southern-inspired cuisine such as Louisiana shrimp creole and "Fall off the Bone" baby back ribs at HOB's restaurant and bar.

The House of Blues Music Hall is the venue's largest party space. This Dallas banquet facility can seat up to 400 guests for dinners or accommodate receptions of up to 800 people and concerts of up to 1,600 people. Not surprisingly, it's one of the most popular unique venues in Dallas.

For a truly exclusive experience, Dallas event planners can host an intimate event in the Foundation Room, a secluded club found at various House of Blues locations. The club's lounge features comfy sofas and 300-year-old antiques, while the fine dining room's 19th century furniture and oriental carpets are a perfect setting for enjoying the American-Pacific Rim fusion cuisine.

In addition to its versatile spaces and savory cuisine, House of Blues in Dallas offers event service options such as party favors and giveaways, audio-visual equipment, custom-decorated cakes, coat check and valet parking.

View more information about House of Blues Dallas on the Cvent Supplier Network

With 17 percent of its 49 square miles being devoted to parkland and open space, it's clear that San Francisco makes the environment a priority. In fact, the city was named one of the top 10 green cities in the United States by the Green Guide and the 2nd greenest U.S. city by Popular Science.

It's no surprise that when you're looking to host a green event in San Francisco, you don't have to look far. Consider a few of the following convention hotels in San Francisco for your next meeting.

Orchard Hotel

The Orchard Hotel in San Francisco and its sister property Orchid Garden Hotel were the first LEED-certified hotels in California and the fourth in the world. Its sustainable practices include the use of organic cleaning products, low-flow plumbing, and halogen, compact fluorescent and LED lighting.

The effortlessly stylish hotel features a number of San Francisco meeting rooms, including the Executive Boardroom and Wine Room at the Daffodil Restaurant. Its green meeting package offers amenities such as recycled notepads with soy-based ink pens, recycled containers for boxed lunches, and organic or locally sourced food and beverages.

Hotel Triton

The 140-room Hotel Triton welcomes guests with colorful wall murals, eye-catching photographs and a unique collection of celebrity suites, designed personally by entertainers. This hip setting can be enjoyed knowing that green practices such as linen and towel re-use programs, 25 percent discount offers for valet parking of hybrid vehicles, and recycled hotel collateral efforts are in effect.

Part of the Kimpton Hotels' EarthCare: Eco Program, the Hotel Triton was among the first green hotels in the nation with its Eco 7th Floor. Here, rooms use water saving devices and air filtration/purifiers.

Not surprisingly, the San Francisco boutique hotel has welcomed meetings for trend-setters such as Madonna's stylists, film crews from MTV and numerous Fortune 500 companies. Event planners can host meetings in the Creative Zone, a San Francisco unique venue that offers a private bathroom, projection screen, complimentary Internet access and more.

Hotel Carlton

This historic Nob Hill hotel may have a vintage style and rich heritage, but its take on the environment is anything but outdated. The Hotel Carlton, certified by the city as a Green Business, is the only hotel in the city to use solar panels. Its best practices also include composting food and landscape waste and purchasing Energy Star rated appliances and equipment.

The 161-room San Francisco hotel's event space can accommodate up to 50 guests in theater seating or reception standing. Full catering and event services are available, as are audio-visual equipment rentals.

With so much emphasis on dinner parties and cocktail receptions, it's easy to overlook hosting catered events at other points in the day. The easy-going, congenial spirit of a brunch event is the perfect way to get your guests networking, and is certainly a classy way to welcome your event attendees or say farewell at the end of a multi-day conference.

When thinking about a brunch event, consider the following restaurant venues, all of which where named among Forbes Traveler's Best Brunches in America.

Salty's Seattle Seafood Restaurant

The impressive waterfront views at Salty's Seattle are matched only by its exquisite Northwest cuisine. All-you-can-eat Dungeness crab, fresh local oysters, omelettes made to order, crepes and homemade pastries are just the beginning of its award-winning brunch, so popular that its served both Sunday and Saturday.

With five private dining rooms, from the Skyline Ballroom for 300 guests to the Seaside Patio for 100 guests, Salty's has function space for events of all types.

Fire Food and Drink

Chef Douglas Katz' innovative creations are taking brunch to a whole new level at Fire Food and Drink in Cleveland. Braised pork crepes with creme fraiche, jumbo lump crab cakes with poached eggs and tomato hollandaise, and brioche French toast with roasted apples are among the many mouth-watering entrees served every Sunday.

Fire Food and Drink is a great venue for events in Cleveland of any size. Its private dining room and outdoor patio each seat up to 35 people. Event services such as housemade cakes, audio-visual equipment and valet parking are available.

Balthazar Restaurant

What better place to enjoy brunch than a cozy bistro with a Parisian feel? Look no further than Soho's Balthazar for your New York events. From savory smoked salmon with creme fraiche to toasted brioche to sweet apple cinnamon pancakes, Balthazar has every taste covered.

Large groups and special events are welcome at the New York City restaurant, which also offers prix fixe menus for groups of 12 or more people.

In October, insurance giant American International Group (AIG) made headlines by cancelling a corporate retreat to the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay resort in California, along with over 160 other planned conferences and events. Though AIG was not your typical cancellation scenario—the company was notoriously rescued from bankruptcy by a $85 billion loan from the Federal Reserve—their need to cancel a meeting (or hundreds) is certainly a familiar one. Maybe the turnout was lower than expected, or perhaps new budgetary restrictions resulted in a loss of funds. Whatever the reason, the decision to cancel can be a costly one. Here are a few ways to mitigate the damage:

• Get cancellation insurance. Many reputable companies offer insurance against your event going bust. More affordable than a complete cancellation, insurance can refund your costs in the event of cancellation, postponement, interruption, relocation or an enforced reduced attendance. Generally, event planners are able to return funds to attendees and exhibitors while paying expenses, and possibly even keeping some of the profits.

• Postpone for a later date. While it won’t save all the incurred costs, moving the date to a later time can help you save face (and money) with your venue and service providers. Event suppliers are aware of the economic conditions, too—use this to your advantage. Negotiate a waived cancellation fee by promising future business.

• Cancel early. If there’s just no room in the budget for another attempt, be sure to cancel as soon as you find out. Don't waste time hoping for the "What if?" possibility to play out. Early cancellation is the easiest way to avoid incurring fees.

As AIG and many other organizations know, meeting cancellations are inevitable in a tough economic climate. With the right planning, however, you can successfully put off your meeting until brighter days, and not pay dearly for it.